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The Journal
NOTE: If you are a regular visitor, loyal supporter, or consider yourself a Classic Pauline Dispensationalist pursuant to the definition found at "Classic Pauline Dispensationalism" Explained, drop me an email indicating your city, state, province, and country, etc. We have created a 'non-public' fellowship registry. We'll put you on the map and provide details. If you've never corresponded or its been a while since we've heard from you, please provide some background (brief bio) info. Also, please read question #14 on our FAQs page.
Below are Journal entries, eclectic commentary, and information bulletins for site additions in 2008. Kind thanks to my dear wife for proof reading these comments from time-to-time. Most recent posts are shown first:
January through June of the 2008 Journal is published as a separate page.
10/3.1/2008
Results of the 2004 Presidential election helped sociologists present some very interesting data. For example, the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics, in conjunction with the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, produced the following chart and definitions for the various groups.
Religious right: White evangelical Protestants with traditional beliefs and practices
Heartland culture warriors: White non-evangelical Christians with traditional beliefs and practices
Moderate evangelicals: White evangelical Protestants with moderate beliefs and practices
White-bread Protestants: White mainline Protestants with moderate beliefs and practices
Convertible Catholics: Non-Latino Catholics with moderate beliefs and practices
Religious left: White Christians with liberal beliefs and practices
Muslims and Others: Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and other religious groups not otherwise categorized
Seculars: Voters with no religious affiliation, beliefs, or practices
Jews, Latino Christians, black Protestants, and the spiritual but not religious are self-explanatory
Supposedly, survey data suggested such categorizations. The Pew Forum maintains its U.S. Religious Landscape Survey data using 'easy-to-understand' graphs, charts, and maps. It's information like this that has driven not-so-funny, liberal/secular comedian Bill Maher crazy and to produce his satirical movie Religulous (the synthesis of religion and ridiculous).
Read online mag Christianity Today's movie review here.
American Catholics may be responding to the mockery above and the issue mentioned previously below.
Source: Pew Forum
10/3/2008
The Vatican's web designers must include some highly-skilled artists, because the site, like many things Italian, displays elegant craftsmanship and beauty. Too bad the theological content doesn't match the packaging. However, now and then members of the "Holy See" do get things right.
For instance, the head of the Vatican's Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signature, American Raymond Burke, former Archbishop of St. Louis, recently took aim at high-profile Democrat politicians who label themselves "Catholic" but reject their church's beliefs and teachings. High on the list are Senator Joe Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Burke candidly told an Italian newspaper that the U.S. Democrat Party risked “transforming itself definitively into a party of death for its decisions on bioethical issues.” This is not the only issue in which the liberal Left aligns itself with death. The core of the problem, conveniently ignored by Prefect Burke, is that a majority of American Catholics are naturalists, not theists, having been indoctrinated by public education somewhere along their education journey. And, add to their naturalistic philosophy a good dose of postmodernism, and you get individuals who feel righteous in [mis]representing Catholic teaching anyway they choose.
Not mincing words, Burke said Biden and Pelosi, “while presenting themselves as good Catholics, have presented Church doctrine on abortion in a false and tendentious way.” Ok, so again, what's wrong with misrepresenting facts ("facts" the elite know only exist in the 'eye of the beholder') and lying when it serves the purpose of gaining and holding power?
9/30.3/2008
9/30.2/2008
The "Invisible Crash" Is Now In Sight - Mark Skousen. See quotation reference at 9/24/2008 below.
9/30.1/2008
ACORN, Obama, and the Mortgage Mess - Mona Charen; An ACORN Falls from the Tree - Ken Blackwell
9/30/2008
"The Paulson Plan destroys capitalism (those who stood to gain--and already made off with large gains--should bear the risk) and violates the spirit of democracy established by the Founding Fathers of the United States." - Janet M. Tavakoli
Stock Market Futures Up on Tuesday? There are several very intelligent individuals who are and have been warning that the stock markets are being heavily manipulated and more seriously, the crisis (which is genuine) is being 'gamed' by individuals and groups with seriously nefarious motives. See links below.
The "Paulson Plan" (aka "No 'Connected' Banker Left Behind") was shockingly contrary to America's political history of checks and balances. Newt Gingrich was well within the bounds of reason to issue a call for Secretary of Treasury Hank Paulson's resignation. Paulson, former Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, reeks of conflict of interest. Despite nomination by George Bush, Paulson's ideological DNA is Democrat and he is deeply connected to Democrat Party operatives.
There is developing evidence of a Leftist organized strategy to seize control of America at this election. This is a very serious war for the future of the Nation. Keep in mind that a bi-partisan group (95 Democrats and 133 Republicans) voted against passage of the ill-conceived bill.
Karl Denninger - Bernanke PROVED Paulson Plan Bankrupt
Karl Denninger - Those Who Supported The Bailout
Alternative Solutions: These are not all the same. Caveat emptor!
How To Fix Our Banking System - Denninger
Specific Proposed Alternative to (the Various Versions) of the Paulson Plan - Tavakoli
SqueezePlay : September 26, 2008 - Tavakoli
Bankruptcy, not bailout, is the right answer - Jeffrey A. Miron
They Broke It. You Bought It. - Newt Gingrich
Voting for the Bailout Bill - Newt Gingrich
Bailout Bill Fails in House Vote (!) - Chris Martenson
Bailout marks Karl Marx's comeback - Martin Masse
9/29/2008
Benjamin Franklin said, "A full Belly makes for a dull Brain." Poor Richard's Almanac, p. 66. The fallout from the current financial crisis may mean some sharpening of the public's collective IQ as well as give pause for some serious reflection. Or maybe not. One can also pray that God, in His mercy, grants light to those, both in and outside the Church, who walk in darkness. "God has never acted in love at the expense of light." Ephesians 5:13 and 14 exhorts us:
But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
Albert Mohler has written a fairly balanced article entitled, A Christian View of the Economic Crisis.
9/28/2008
From time-to-time, I've mentioned Professor Emeritus Phillip E. Johnson, author of Reason In The Balance and many more popular books. This past week, I scanned chapter 2 of his book entitled: The Established Religious Philosophy of America. This chapter, with my underlining and marks, goes a long way in explaining (in a concise manner) the roots of America's current "culture wars" and the chasm between various religious and political parties.
9/24.1/2008
The Root of the Current Crisis: As I alluded to on 9/15/2008, it was homosexual* and ultra-liberal Barney Frank-D (House) and ranking members of the Senate Banking Committee who, back in the 2003, blocked the Bush Administration's efforts to improve oversight and regulation of GSEs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as continued the Community Reinvestment Act floodgates of sub-prime mortgage lending spawned by the Clinton Administration (circa 1995). As is now being revealed, many in Congress were on the 'take' from executives at Fannie and Freddie. Of course Democrats deny culpability and the facts are being obscured by the pro-Democrat/liberal mainstream media--MSM. Deep corruption. However, FoxNews is carrying bits-n-pieces of the 'inconvenient' story.
* You might wonder what bearing Mr. Frank's sexual orientation has toward the current crisis? It represents the libertarian (libertine) component of libertarian socialism, mentioned in the prior post. Who we elect as representatives does matter a great deal.
This cartoon by Glenn McCoy is rather insightful. Historically, evangelicals have supported a "compassionate and moral-based capitalism" (e.g., Is Capitalism Christian?: Toward a Christian Perspective on Economics, Crossway Books, 1985) anchored in a Christian worldview as opposed to both 'big government' totalitarianism or libertarian 'free market' philosophies of Alan Greenspan, Ayn Rand, Murray Rothbard, etc.
9/24/2008
If you haven't taken the time to watch Chris Martenson's Crash Course, this may be as good a time as any. I don't necessarily agree with every point in his presentations, but my differences would be more technical in nature. Many of the financial/money issues have been known about for decades, if not centuries. My first exposure was in the early '70s as I struggled to raise a family. My early education came from James Dines' 1961 book The Invisible Crash: What It Is, Why It Happened, How to Protect Yourself Against It.
The proposed $700 billion (?) bailout is more-likely-than-not necessary to prevent a financial 'meltdown' in the current Western fiat-based financial system. Accountability for the money is also necessary to ensure fiscal responsibility. At least the socialism aspect of the U.S. current political philosophy--libertarian socialism--is being rejected by the public. This is a difficult 'tightrope' to walk.
I am not hopeful that moral responsibility will prevail, since that depends upon genuine morality based on genuine Christian spirituality and worldview. I hope my view is proven wrong.
The alternative (withholding monetization of additional U.S. Treasury debt) is unspeakable by any and all public figures (except for Ron Paul who was unable to clearly articulate the issues during the political primaries) as that would likely trigger additional fear and panic in the general public. A "meltdown" would likely cause untold social chaos and damage, as well as millions of deaths from collapsing infrastructure and starvation...worse than the 1929 Great Depression, where people were self-reliant and less dependent upon energy infrastructures. This is not hyperbole, but a transparent and candid opinion shared with regular readers to this website.
During a House hearing, Secretary of Treasury Paulson responded to Ohio Republican Steve LaTourette:
“He (an individual in Rep. LaTourette's district) should be angry and he should be scared – and I think right now he’s angrier than he is scared,” said Paulson “And it puts us in a difficult position—no one likes to be painting an overly dire picture and scaring people, but the fact is that if the financial markets are not stabilized the situation can be very severe as it relates not just to his current situation – but keeping his job life... this is a serious situation and one he should be concerned about.” Word substitution mine.
Most Americans (hurricane victims of Katrina and Ike excluded) take for granted the vast quantity and variety of food in their local grocery stores. Little thought is given to the various points on the globe (e.g., South America and New Zealand for fruit) that are the source of this "Good Eats" cornucopia, and the energy infrastructure that's utilized to create such edible choices. You need to awaken from this slumber.
From an eschatological view, financial and social collapse of Western powers (largely the United States) would set the stage for 1) a power grab in the Middle East, and 2) a global electronic money system (Revelation 13:17). With the West paralyzed, Islamic leaders and nations, with their inherent hatred and enmity toward the Jewish people and Israel, would be unrestrained and likely to launch all out attacks upon Israel.
9/18/2008
The current situation is grave...shades of the "black horse" of Revelation. Internet money sites like Bloomberg, WSJ, and MSN Money (Jon Markman) are making available many excellent articles explaining the current global financial situation. Consequently, there is less need for any comment here. Readers should review my earlier comments and linked sources.
9/15/2008
Do not be politically misled by the current financial turmoil. Currently, stock market indexes are only slightly down. The problems stem from policies (of lack thereof) of Western central banks, not the Executive branch of the U.S. government. It is the Legislative branch of government that creates laws and regulations. Accountability and oversight of the Federal Reserve (central bank of the US) is the responsibility of Congress, both House and Senate Committees, which are both controlled by Democrats. Obama campaign statements seeking to connect the crisis to Republicans is pure political propaganda (again) and an effort to preempt exposure of the failure of these Democrat-controlled congressional committees.
9/12/2008
Yesterday was the 7 year anniversary of the 9/11/2001 Islamic-Jihadist attacks upon America. Authors like David J. Jonsson, Islamic Economics and the Final Jihad: The Muslim Brotherhood to the Leftist/Marxist-Islamist Alliance, have comprehensively documented this alliance, as well as Barack Obama's connections and sympathies. Despite yesterday's efforts on the part of both major political party to appear unified during commemoration ceremonies, Michelle Malkin has written an insightful article explaining The World (and many Democrats) Still Blames America. Parenthetical insert mine.
9/9/2008
The Hate-wing media is rabidly taking aim on Sarah Palin's born-again Christianity. It is very important that the fight be joined, and the anti-Christian bigotry be exposed. Dr. Johnson's comments below should be used to counter every objection to Sarah Palin's Christian worldview. The mainstream media 'conversation' normally follows the Internet blogosphere...so get prepared to join the coming conversation. It will likely be a 'doozy'.
9/8/2008
Having sensed a colossal error, Barack Obama is politically backpedaling on his "flip" comment regarding abortion. With this lack of philosophical grounding, he may be unfit for all forms of "social service." What his answer plainly infers is that moral questions are...ultimately unanswerable.
In fact, because of the crisis in knowledge, moral questions are "above the pay grade" of nearly all Democrats, as well as many Republicans and Independents. Senator/lawyer Joseph Biden's response to similar questions is disingenuous and typical of weasel lawyer-speak. "I'm prepared as a matter of faith [Roman Catholic] to accept that life begins at the moment of conception. But that is my judgment," Biden said on NBC's Meet the Press. "For me to impose that judgment on everyone else who is equally and maybe even more devout [or secular] than I am seems to me is inappropriate in a pluralistic society." Inappropriate in a pluralistic society?? Joe Biden's brain just 'blue screened', and he needs a re-boot.
It is NOT inappropriate to impose moral judgments in a pluralistic society! It's done hundreds of times by government every day. Biden is the typical liberal Roman Catholic...religious in label only. His worldview is fully secular; "secular" judgments are acceptable in his view. His acceptance of "his church's teachings that life begins at conception" is a total political ruse. Proof? See Charles J. Chaput's, Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life, a full frontal rebuke to Senator Joseph Biden. Nancy Pelosi suffered a different problem earlier in the month when she misrepresentation Catholic moral tradition on global TV, which then triggered an appointment with San Francisco Archbishop Niederauer.
PS. Roman Catholic leaders make a big deal about Catholic unity vs. non-Catholic "division." Despite the truth of Matthew 10:34, it's a totally phony argument. Catholic division is widespread and deep; they just aren't transparent about it due to the burden of maintaining claim to being the "one, true church."
If John McCain made a good choice with Sarah Palin, Barack Obama made a suicidal choice with Joseph Biden...the nasty, "let's rumble," street-fighting attorney.
For some so-called "balance" and antithesis to my comments, read WashingtonPost, "On Faith," Jacques Berlinerblau's blog posts. Sites like: "On Faith", Talk2Action.org, CrossLeft.org are favorite gathering spots for the Religious Left.
9/4.1/2008
The
reaction of liberal mainstream media and feminist women to Governor Sarah Palin
is extremely telling.
“Is God the true creator of everything that exists, or is God a product of the human imagination, real only in the minds of those who believe?
“If God really does exist, then to lead a rational life a person has to take account of God and his purposes. A person or a society that ignores the Creator is ignoring the most important part of reality, and to ignore reality is to be irrational.
“The most influential intellectuals in
9/4/2008
Yesterday, we experienced a major operating system (OS) failure, i.e. computer "crash." After 6 hours on the phone with Dell Computer technicians (from the Philippines), we were able to partially repair the system to a point for making fresh back ups of all critical data. The system remains unstable and will likely require being rebuilt from the ground up. Regular posts to The Journal and email correspondence may be interrupted at any time. Any supporters so led to financially contribute to helping upgrade hardware and software, your assistance would be deeply appreciated.
9/2.1/2008
Palin Update: The Palin family has acknowledged in the national media that their 17-year-old, unmarried daughter, Bristol, is pregnant. The eNews channels and the Blogsphere have gone hyper--a 'national' if not international 'conversation'. Contrary to Barack Obama's value that he wouldn't want his daughters "punished with a baby," Bristol will carry the baby to term and will marry the father--circa pre-1960's.
A majority of parents know that teaching “values” doesn’t insure that their children will always make the best choices. For many parents, their own personal experience confirms the maxim. The fact that disconnects between ‘values taught’ and ‘values caught’ occur is not always evidence of parental failure; rather, the fact that each human being has volition and individual responsibility cannot be overlooked. If a born-again Christian, add to this the whole matter of personal sanctification and holiness.
Contrary to what some children think, genuinely loving parents impart values, are not interested in controlling their adult children's lives, and yet always remain concerned with their kids well-being. These attitudes become "hard-wired" through the process of being a parent.
Most of us become adults through a combination of listening to those wiser than ourselves (including God through His Word) AND learning from our mistakes. Those who do neither, remain children.
PS. I view the current media chaos as a rather energizing force for public conversation. God often uses such events to arrest people's attention. The year was 1969 and the place was the student center at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado. As a new 'babe in Christ', I stood to testify of my newly-embraced belief and to debate a highly-visible campus cultist. A large crowd gathered to witness the spectacle. After the dust settled, a handful of students approached me to share how God has used the conflict to convict them of sin and need for the Savior. His Word did not return void. The Lord will use the current cultural turmoil to awaken souls to their spiritual needs. Your responsibility is to be spiritually ready to help them grow...."in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ."
9/2/2008
The leftwing blogosphere (e.g., DailyKos), together with mainstream media, has taken aim on Sarah Palin and her family. As a "fundamentalist politician," the lefties are desperately creating and furthering any and all scurrilous rumors in hopes of besmirching the Republican ticket and shifting attention away from Barack Obama's problems of religious identity, questionable citizenship, as well as policy views in general. [The DailyKos participated in publishing a forged birth certificate for Barack Obama.]
One could easily see this coming, based on the intensity of vitriol, hate, and anti-Christian bigotry prevalent in much of the urban segment of society. At first it was veiled, but little-by-little it has become more acceptable (politically correct) for mainstream media to express such bigotry in public. The nature and cause of such bigotry is chronicled in two excellent books: Reason in the Balance, The Case Against Naturalism in Science, Law & Education, Phillip E. Johnson, InterVarsity Press, 1995; The Secular Revolution: Power, Interests, and Conflict in the Secularization of American Public Life, Christian Smith-Editor, University of California Press, 2003.
8/29/2008
Any George Soros Puppets Here?
“Sarah Palin is a conservative first-term governor of Alaska with strong [born-again evangelical Christian] anti-abortion views, a record of reform and fiscal conservatism and an outsider's perspective on Washington. She is also an avid sportswoman...” "...husband, Todd Palin, is part Yup'ik Eskimo, [commerecial fisherman], a blue-collar North Slope oil worker, and who competes in the Iron Dog, a 1,900-mile snowmobile race. The couple lives in Wasilla. They have five children, the youngest of whom was born in April with Down syndrome."
The main stream media (MSM) are beside themselves on this choice for VP. Did you pick up on Obama's emphasis upon "four more years" of a Bush/Cheney administration? His strategists so wanted to link the McCain ticket to Bush, et al. Criticizing VP candidate Palin for inexperience is a case of the "pot calling the kettle black."
Based on the bizarre questions being posed by the Lefties, they absolutely don't get it. The Left believe they won the election last night after Obama's slick and choreographed speech. Many are genuinely resentful regarding the Republican Party's conservative religious base. From their false conception of a passive and effeminate Jesus, they mockingly call it the constituency of "God and Guns." They don't understand or wish to acknowledge the voting constituencies of conservatives, libertarians, blue-collar values voters, pro-energy conservationists, pro-life, pro-gun, traditional Catholics, and the largest block of all--genuine evangelicals. This was the core Republican base that John McCain needed on board.
8/28.1/2008
I've spent 30 of my past 40 years employed full-time as an auditor/examiner. I've been paid, very modestly, to ensure that smoke and mirrors do not obfuscate financial reality and truth. I have faced years of retributive discrimination for being a Bible-based Christian, as well as secondarily white and male. It is thus difficult for me to listen to the stream of obfuscation put forth by the Democrat Party at their convention in Denver, Colorado. It's particularly painful for me, since I was born in Denver and Colorado has been my home for a majority of my 59+ years.
Much of America's current economic difficulties are historically attributable to utopian Democrats and the self-serving actions of their administrations. Of course politics being politics, the Administration in power is blamed for the difficulties of the current status quo, when in fact the Democrats advanced many of the very policies and financial Ponzi schemes that bedevil today's average men and women. Foolishly, the Nation is again enthusiastic about "libertarian socialism." The liberal citizenry wants a libertine environ of their own creation, yet a cradle-to-grave governmental safety net to offset personal bad decision and moral accountability.
The Democrat Convention was an extremely well orchestrated media event, their candidate an articulate and charismatic voice, who is given the perfect spotlight by a highly-savvy main stream media. It's amazing what you can get when George Soros pays for the speech writers. Then, for a citizenry that can write checks to Todd Bentley, how can anyone be faulted for being mesmerized by the appearance of Barack Obama? The public has found a messiah and are little interested in this candidates past associations, worldview, or potential to "change" the game after being elected to the highest office of the land. It is all about change, isn't it?
The Republican alternative may be rife with shortcomings, but I do not look forward, as a Bible-believing Christian, to an America directed by Barack Obama and his Left-wing and relativistic minions--minions who harbor very deep-seated rage and hate against the Creator God of the Universe and a Christianity based on biblical truth. Undoubtedly, this election comes down to passion vs. passion...and the mercies of God upon a Nation that in its past has sought to acknowledge Him as Surpreme.
8/28/2008
The re-establishment of the Jewish state in 1948 has not only thrown a wrench in amillennial thinking, but it has also thrown a chink in much of premillennial thinking. Amazingly, some premillennialists have concluded that the present state of Israel has nothing to do with the fulfillment of prophecy. For some reason the present state some how does not fit their scheme of things, and so the present state becomes merely an accident of history. On what grounds is the present state of Israel so dismissed? The issue that bothers so many premillennialists is the fact that not only have the Jews returned in unbelief with regard to the person of Jesus, but the majority of the ones who have returned are not even Orthodox Jews. In fact the majority are atheists or agnostics. Certainly, then, Israel does not fit in with all those biblical passages dealing with the return. For it is a regenerated nation that the Bible speaks of, and the present state of Israel hardly fits that picture. So on these grounds, the present state is dismissed as not being a fulfillment of prophecy.
However, the real problem is the failure to see that the prophets spoke of two international returns. First, there was to be a regathering in unbelief in preparation for judgment, namely the judgment of the tribulation. This was to be followed by a second world-wide regathering in faith in preparation for blessing, namely the blessings of the messianic age. Once it is recognized that the Bible speaks of two such regatherings, it is easy to see how the present state of Israel fits into prophecy. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Footsteps of the Messiah
8/26/2008
Propping Up The Dollar - The Chinese communist central planners are no dummings. Having joined the industrialized-capitalist world in a big way, they now realize their nations power is largely based on importing technology and "know-how" from Western nations while maintaining a viable export market into those small nations. Thus, it should come as no surprise, that the are coming to the aid of the U.S. banking system. The positive movement in the dollar caught many by surprise.
The exact cause has taken some time to identify, but UK financial columnist Ambrose Evans-Pritchard writes about the recent actions of Chinese banks which surely contributes to the positive surge at the tail of the above graph.
8/23/2008
I'm not an economist...thank goodness. Rather my professional training (aka 'tent making') has been in accounting and technology. Despite the questionable reasoning, from time-to-time, of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), accountants are economic realists. Accounting is the language of business, but postmodernism seems to have even affect this discipline. Traditionally, at the end of each day, the books must be in balance...debit must equal credits, even if it means "plugging" (creating a temporary debit or credit) to make it balance. [As a professional hazard, I've been known to awaken during the night with my brain hard at work seeking an explanation for some encountered imbalance...and all this taking place without my expressed permission. Accountants often joke about the mental phenomena.]
Such is the current case with the global credit crisis, inflation, stock markets, and commodity prices, particularly oil, gold and silver. There are some very odd phenomena taking place which defy common rules of economics (supply and demand) as well as balancing the books. Things just don't add up. When events (effect) defy normal rules of behavior, one intuitively knows that some explanation (cause) must exists. The challenge is identifying the cause, keeping in mind the possibility that someone or some group may intentionally be concealing facts for personal gain. For accountants, such investigative activity is called forensic accounting.
Take for instance the recent run up in the price of crude oil and now the rapid price decline. Supply and demand? Or take the current case of the falling prices of gold and silver, while there simultaneously exists a widespread physical shortage in gold and silver. This defies common sense. Shortages cause prices to increase, not decrease...unless, of course, the market is being intentionally manipulated. Such may be the case, when you examine the following activities.
The U.S. and other western banking systems are creating massive levels of liquidity (fiat paper money) in an effort to keep western economies out of recession. This infusion of borrowing takes place through large banks, which in turn are used to prop up the entire financial system. Traditionally, free markets recognize the inflationary effect of such central bank behavior, and "alternative forms of money" such as gold, silver, or other currencies become safe havens.
I've never been big on conspiracy theories, but the Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee (GATA) has argued for some time that western central banks have engaged in accounting deception to sell (i.e. "lease") vault gold and thus depress the market prices of gold and silver. However, this ploy may have run its course as other nations (Russia, China, and the Middle-East) flush with newly-printed U.S. trading dollars are more than willing to exchange them for physical gold on world markets.
Further, some large U. S. banks are also currently engaged in non-traditional commodity speculation, i.e. taking "short positions" in the futures trading. Silver analyst Ted Butler asks, "What real legitimate business do 2 or 3 U.S. banks suddenly have for selling short such quantities of speculative instruments over a brief time period?" See article here. My answer, based on 25+ years as an auditor/examiner in the banking industry is "None." An investigation is fully warranted. Are the various large benefactors and players of central bank lending (fractional-reserve liquidity infusions) participating in a secondary ploy to suppress the market price of gold and silver in an effort to divert economic attention from a fiat currency collapse? This might explain the current physical shortage AND falling prices.
Add to this, the government's efforts to manipulate measures of true inflation, and our economic condition could be far worse than any "insider" is willing to admit. The Chairman of the Federal Reserve continues to emphases the "financial crisis" and "uncertainty" of the global economy.
PS. A part of the problem appears to be the ineffectiveness (?) of the regulatory U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
"These highly disjointed and increasingly violent market moves are starting to feel a bit like a car on a mountain road with loose steering…"
8/17/2008
I have completed the educational landscape section below at the 8/5/2008 entry.
8/16/2008
Tonight, ersatz-evangelical Rick Warren will host his two-hour Saddleback Civil Forum on THE PRESIDENCY. CNN will carry the event live at 8:00pm (EST), 7:00pm (CST), 6:00pm (MST), and 5:00pm (PST). The problem with events of this nature is that both candidates are likely to be aggressively coached by their political handlers to parse their words carefully. Both candidates likely demanded to have the list of questions ahead of time, so that their respective team could research and craft responses. Neither candidate understands biblical Christianity nor is their 'worldview' really consistent with a Judeo-Christian framework of values. So, dig out your bottle of Pepto-Bismol and prepare to watch the heretofore fence-straddler vs. the über-radical.
In keeping with Rick Warren's robust set of questions, which candidate do you believe would find withChrist.org "offensive" and dispatch their minions to "pull our plug?"
As I evaluated the differences in each candidate's responses, and there were many, I was drawn to the stark contrast in their worldviews over conflict, war, and evil. John McCain has experienced evil firsthand and was resolute in how to deal with it..."We defeat it!" By contrast, Obama's responses were typical morally-relativistic and nuanced in which he equated moral certainty with arrogance. He emphasized the need for being "humble," and the possibility of being evil while opposing evil...an indirect slap at both the current Administration and America. The same moral relativism was expressed in his response to the pointed question regarding when life begins and abortion. He side-stepped the question (one of many), and justified his non-response with the cutesy statement, "That's above my pay grade." Like I said, his 'handlers' had him well groomed for the event.
8/15/2008
Why Liberals and the Left Oppose Free Speech and Distain Monologue...Except Their Own - One would assume that all Americans would understand the value of the First Amendment. Not so! For an increasing number, so-called "political correct dialogue" has supplanted the right of free speech laid down in the Bill of Rights. How has this come about?
Public education operates under the ubiquitous principle that no student should feel offended by another's point of view. At work is the process of the supremacy of the lowest common denominator. Little-by-little free speech is suppressed. It's this principle at work which has contributed to the national pedagogic crisis as well as the "dumbing down" of students and all society.
Today, liberals believe the ethos of the public school classroom should logically extend to the public square. This is in part the motive behind those who seek to reinstate the FCC's so-called "Fairness Doctrine." Their goal is to build "consensus" views, i.e., politically-correct perspectives which offend the least number of individuals. Being philosophic relativists, dialogue is the enlightened and acceptable form of communication since no viewpoint can claim superiority over another. For them, monologues (except their own) reflect arrogance, bad taste, and should be censored and banned.
Readers would be surprised at the number of emails received here from those "offended" by something they've read. Some request that I delete this or that based on their offended feelings. In anger, some seek to intimidate and "order" me to remove information. A small number have even threatened lawsuits, falsely claiming such-and-such statement is "libelous." To their disappointment, such is not the case. I do remind them that they are free to "change the channel" to any one of a... billion other websites.
8/13/2008
If you are one of the faithful who enjoy and appreciate this website, take note. Due to their megalomaniacal drive for absolute control and power, the liberal Left and Democrats are seeking to reinstitute the decades-old "Fairness Doctrine." This legislation, originally passed in 1949 and requiring radio and TV broadcasters to present controversial issues of public importance in a manner deemed by the FCC to be "honest, equitable, and balanced," was generally repealed in 1967. The need for the original law was largely based on the "limited spectrum of the public airwaves" (scarcity rationale). Cases involving the application of and challenges to the fairness doctrine vs. free speech rights under the 1st Amendment have reached the Supreme Court on a few occasions. "In 1984, the Supreme Court decided that the scarcity rationale underlying the doctrine did not apply to expanding communications technologies, and that the doctrine was limiting the breadth of public debate." In light of the success of both conservative talk-radio and conservative websites on the Internet, and due to the Left's inability to monopolize the public square like they have public schools, Democrats like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat caucus, Senators Richard Durbin, and John Kerry, are seeking to muzzle opponents by reinstating this law and extending its jurisdiction to include the Internet. A bill to reinstate the law (e.g., HR 3302, 109th Congress) failed to gain traction, but is being readied for re-introduction. The new legislation would address the issues of both "balanced presentation" and "media ownership." It is the so-called balanced presentation portion which may, hopefully, never reach constitutional muster. Nevertheless, such proposed legislation does represent an additional threat to free speech in the public square, aimed at conservatives and conservative Christians. Let you Congressional representatives know that you are opposed to the presentation portion of any proposed new legislation.
Most are unaware that the Internet, despite its appearance of being a fully democratic forum, is manipulated by companies like Google. Google's sophisticated, proprietary technology (filtering algorithms) allows its management to "weight" search results to reflect ideological bias or even enforce censorship--i.e., search results not favorable to conservative views. Despite my laborious efforts to index withChrist.org's web pages, very few pages get picked up by Google's "crawl" technology (Googlebot). This wasn't the case back in the '90s. Supporters of withChrist.org can help in this effort. If there's a particular page you'd like to see rise in Google's ranking, regularly submit that URL address HERE.
8/11.1/2008
Based on a recommendation by my middle son, Matthew Jude and his fiancée Tracy,
Diane and I are working through Dr. Emerson Eggerichs' book,
Love & Respect, Thomas Nelson, 2004. In short, the book is
phenomenal for several reasons. It's my intention to write an in-depth
review, since the essence of the topic--love and respect--extend far
beyond the sphere of building healthy marriages. So far, we've completed
Chapters 1-5, and I've read enough to recommend that all readers of
withChrist.org obtain a copy. The book is fundamentally different (in a
positive way) than evangelical books on marriage written over the past half
century. It turns an important corner toward stanching further cultural
deterioration.
8/11/2008
"A potential rush of events in which a US-led blockade, Israeli attack and Iranian reprisals pile up in a very short time and precipitate a major military crisis."
With Western economies under heavy stress from structural problems plus the rising price of oil, Iran's defiance of UN sanctions, and now war between Russia and Georgia, one Internet source is reporting a massive US/UK/French/Canadian navel armada in route to the Straits of Hormuz (the information is being confirmed at DEBKAfile). The stated purpose is to enforce UN sanctions; however, crude oil supply lines are also in play. Consequently, the recent decline in gas prices, commodities, rising stock market and rebound of the US dollar may be a short-lived phenomena. Special thanks to Susan P.- our helpful "research assistant" for supplying us with many links.
8/7/2008
DEATH of TRUE LOVE - John Locke is quoted as saying, “Whoever defines the word, defines the world.” Today, the meaning of love has been hijacked and largely redefined for use within a pervasive framework of moral relativism--the post-Christian society.
The Greek word most often translated "love" in the New Testament is agapē. The essence of agapē is benevolent action rooted in the nature of the lover, without pre-conditions on the part of the object of such love. But agapē is not "love" devoid of any conditions! Says who? A sound and careful study of the NT reveals numerous conditional statements relative to interpersonal relationships.
The current world's so-called love is love devoid of any and all conditions. It is a love severed and independent from light, righteousness, justice and truth. The same holds true for "peace," "unity," and a host of terms. Modern love, so called, doesn't engage in any form of judgment and is characterized by a perverted form of tolerance. It is tolerant of all manner of evil and wickedness, and intolerant toward those who would seek to identify and scripturally oppose the same. Thus, when a Bible-based Christian sets forth Scriptural truth with any degree of certainty, they are viewed and falsely labeled as being unloving, abusive and attempting to force their views on others.
Action: It has been this simple but continuous misuse of words which has rendered the Church impotent relative to its responsibility for being "salt and light" in society. Christians should be prepared to challenge every misuse, no matter what the context, of the word "love" by asserting its historical, biblical, and true meaning. Today's spiritual war (Eph. 6:12) is being played out in a struggle over the meaning words.
"...in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes." 2 Cor. 2:11
8/6/2008
Literalistic vs. Literal? The English word "literal" carries some problematic connotations, and thus a fair amount of confusion exists about how conservative, born-again Christians should interpret the Bible. Most often in conservative circles, literal is used to mean the normal, grammatical-historic approach to interpretation that was rediscovered during the Protestant Reformation and has been used by subsequent generations of evangelicals. This approach means the "correct interpretation is the one which discovers the meaning of the text in its grammatical forms and in the historical, cultural context in which the text is expressed."
A literalistic approach to interpretation is different. "Every word is taken absolutely literally including figures of speech and symbolism. Historical background is considered unnecessary and ignored. Any deviation from this rule is regarded as sacrilegious. This method was used by the Jews after the Babylonian Exile. It is also used by extreme fundamentalists and many cults (Children of God, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, etc.). Subscribers always use it selectively and it makes Scripture unintelligible, contradictory, and unlivable."
It is this literalistic approach to Scripture, together with Anglo-Catholic church tradition, which spawned the erroneous and socially-destructive idea that marriage is indissoluble except by death. Contrary to both, biblical marriage can legitimately end by biblical divorce, as surely as by death. Does this seem counter-intuitive to what you've heard over the years? If so, read: Till Death Do Us Part? Divorce and Remarriage in the Church: Biblical Solutions for Pastoral Realities, by Dr. David Instone-Brewer.
8/5/2008
I have completed an “in-depth scan” of the book, None
Dare Call It Education, John A. Stormer, Liberty Bell Press, 1998. I
put together some comments and observations (here),
which should not be taken as a complete book review.
My views regarding education have ebbed-and-flowed during my nearly forty years
as a born-again Christian. I attended both parochial (Catholic) and public
schools during elementary and secondary years, and then both public and private
colleges. I experienced, first hand, substantial differences.
One conviction of mine that has remained fairly constant:
self-education is an important personal and family value. Taking
individual responsibility for learning (life long) is critical for offsetting
the various educational deficiencies we all face during our lifetimes.
This value was transferred to me by my mother and her hard-working
Czech/Austrian family.
According to the U. S. Department of Education’s National Center for
Education Statistics, nearly 75 million students (elementary, secondary,
and post-secondary) were enrolled (Fall 2007) in either public or private
schools. Nearly 10 million individuals were involved as teachers and
support administration. See the statistics
here.
Also of interest:
The Condition
of Education 2008 (in Brief)
The Condition
of Education 2008 (large file)
(No claim is made for the accuracy of DOE statistics.)
In addition to self-education, my view of the pedagogic landscape looks like this:
Public Education: Tax-supported common schools are socialistic by design and thus suffer from a host of structural ills, the worst being the “supremacy of the lowest common denominator.” As with all forms of social utopianism, outcomes never live up to the hype of the founding visionaries or those with vested financial interests. Why? The Fall. Over the past 150+ years, American education has inevitably failed in its mission to create genuinely literate citizens. From time-to-time, exposés are run which reveal high school graduates unable to demonstrate basic reading and writing skills, and poor global ranking despite the annual $500+ billion dollar price tag. As seen in the graphs below, only Norway spends more money per elementary and secondary student than the United States. In the arena of postsecondary education, the United States leads the world in spending. Does more money mean brighter students? Of course not.
Under "Academic Outcomes" in the same report (linked above) you find these facts:
Science: "The average U.S. science literacy score [15-year-olds] was 489, which was below the average of the 30 OECD countries (500). U.S. students had a lower average score than students in 16 OECD-member countries and a higher average score than students in 5 OECD countries. U.S. students also scored lower than their peers in 6 non-OECD jurisdiction..."
Reading: "The average U.S. 4th-grade score on the combined reading literacy scale was 540, above the PIRLS international average of 500. Students in 10 jurisdictions scored above U.S. students, on average. U.S. students scored higher, on average, than their peers in 22 jurisdictions. No differences were detected between the average score in the United States and those in 12 jurisdictions."
Students from the tiny country of Latvia scored higher in both categories than American students. Sadly, the students are the victims of a bureaucratic fraud and slowly awaken to their literacy deficiencies as they attempt to compete in the global job market. As was highlighted nearly 180 years ago, public education largely serves the interests of Government, not the family, nor the individual. Prior to America’s widespread urbanization and “reforms,” some isolated rural schools, under local control, may have provided better education, and a few may still exist in some backwater. Among educational alternatives for Christians, the choice of today’s public school should rank last. In most cases, it is a form of self-delusion for Christian parents to think that what their children receive at home plus in Sunday school is capable of offsetting the influence and effect of the public school.
Non-Government Funded Schools
Secular Schools: Despite the ubiquitous nature of America’s public schools, many children from the lowest to upper socio-economic American families opt to attend private schools. Yes, some of these institutions are elitist, at least in the minds of the parents who write the checks for tuition. As with all tuition-based funding, academic results and parental involvement are high due to the what I call "consumer consciousness." When parents pay directly for education, they discriminate, exercise positive judgment, and hold the school responsible for results. They demand their money's worth, and can vote with their feet if the particular school doesn't deliever.
The largest decline (1989 to 2005) in private schools was attributable to a thirteen (13%) percent atrophy in Catholic parochial schools. Evangelical Christian and "non-sectarian" (i.e. secular) school both grew by five (5%) percent. Overall, private school enrollment modestly increased from 4.8 million to 5.1 million, respectively, and constituted only nine (9%) percent of the total U.S. student population.
Christian Schools: Conservative (mostly evangelical) Christian schools represent the most reasonable educational alternative for born-again Christians. Quality varies from location to location with many variables contributing to the outcomes. For details, research the various associations: American Association of Christian Schools (AACS), Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), National Christian School Association (NCSA), etc. It must be pointed out that there is a potential risk with sending children to Christian schools. Hurdle #1. Given the raging culture war (overt and covert), your child's high school or college diploma may be a liability when seeking to transfer educational credits or even find employment. Never mind the fact that they might be intellectually superior to their public school counterpart. For example, the University of California deny credit, relative to eligibility for admission, for some Christian high school classes--including English, history, and government, on the grounds that the subject were taught from a Christian worldview perspective. The University of California disallows over 150 specific courses taught in Christian, Catholic, and Jewish high schools. Hurdle #2. So you've graduated from a Christian, Catholic, or Jewish college and you're in search of your first 'real' job. With the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on the books and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on the beat, discrimination would be far from your mind as you aggressively sought out a 'good paying' job. Sadly, this is naive. I have personally witnessed company recruiters discriminate against ('round file') applications based on animus against religion. When I called this illegal practice to the attention of management, I became the pariah. Engaging the culture war is not for the faint of heart.
Homeschooling: "The U.S. Department of Education reports that 1.1 million, or 2.2 percent of all students in the nation, are homeschooled." For Christians, homeschooling is both the most ideal yet most difficult schooling option. Parents have nearly full control over both curriculum and the learning environment. If done correctly, homeschooling place a serious demands on both parents. It requires extra amounts of passion, commitment, and perseverance…as well as a good dose of teaching skills. Due to problems in both public and private institutions, as well as hard economic times, homeschooling continues to grow in popularity. Laws over homeschooling vary from country to country, state to state. Courts in Germany take a dim view of homeschooling and most have heard of the recent court ruling in California that attempted to make homeschooling illegal, but was reverse on appeal. Homeschoolers face similar challenges when applying to many public universities, but condition are said to be improving. The possibility of religious discrimination is still very real.
8/2/2008
Pushing Back The Darkness – A win for Colorado
broad-based evangelicals.
Political and religious liberals continue to suffer small setbacks in their
decades-long, animus-filled assault upon conservative evangelicals. For
example, in a lawsuit filed by Colorado Christian University (CCU) against nine
officials of the State of Colorado Commission on Higher Education over
unconstitutional discrimination in the matter of student funding, an adverse
lower District court decision was reversed by the US 10th Circuit Court of
Appeals. The arguments by the plaintiff attornys logic and the Circuit
Court’s ruling can be found
here and
here. I do admit, I love to listen to these arguments. I can't
find the arguments by the defense. The judge, at one point, describes the
defendant attorney's arguments as "inconsistent" with pertinent case law
and of advancing "puzzling and artificial distinctions."
Victories such as Colorado Christian University vs. Weaver are small
relative to the overall cultural assault on conservative religious citizens, but
nevertheless represent substantial moral victories in the face of pervasive
evils. While it may be no surprise or revelation to readers here, listed
below are the various national and local groups that made up the Amici
Curiae (Latin: friend of the court) on behalf of both the Plaintiff (CCU)
and the Defendants.
Arguing on Behalf of the Plaintiff
Attorneys:
-
Christian Legal Society - Center for Law & Religious Freedom, Springfield, Virginia
-
Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons, LLP, Colorado Springs, Colorado
-
Thomas N. Scheffel & Associates, P.C., Denver, Colorado
-
Alliance Defense Fund, Scottsdale, Arizona
Amici Curiae supporting the plaintiff:
-
United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
-
Burns, Figa & Will, P.C., Greenwood Village, Colorado
-
Douglas Laycock, University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
-
The Center for Public Justice
-
National Association of Evangelicals
-
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
-
American Center for Law and Justice
-
Holme Roberts & Owen LLP, for The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities
-
The American Association of Presidents of Independent Colleges and Universities
-
The Catholic University of America
-
Jones & Benjamin D. DuPré, for Foundation for Moral Law
Arguing on Behalf of the
Defendants
Attorneys:
-
Solicitor General, Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, and Assistant Attorneys General for the State of Colorado
Amici Curiae supporting the defendants:
-
Three Harvard Law School students, Supreme Court and Appellate Practice Clinic
-
O’Melveny & Myers LLP, Washington, D.C
-
Bredhoff & Kaiser, P.L.L.C., Washington, D.C
-
American Jewish Congress, New York, New York
-
Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Washington, D.C
-
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Foundation, Washington, D.C
-
People For the American Way Foundation, Washington, D.C
-
Anti-Defamation League, New York, New York
-
American Federation of Teachers, Washington, D.C
-
National School Boards Association, Alexandria, Virginia
-
National Education Association, Washington, D.C
-
National Parent Teacher Association, Washington, D.C
-
Colorado Education Association
8/1.1/2008
The McCain campaign has decided to have some fun with parody. The One
8/1/2008
From time to time, some have commented, "Why the name withChrist.org? Isn't it more accurate to say "in Christ?" The website's name is drawn from the biblical (Pauline) truths of the believer's positional crucifixion (death), burial, resurrection, ascension, and being seated "with" Christ. See Romans 6:4,6 and Ephesians 2:6. True, the believer is "in Christ," but only through his positional identification with Christ, which is at the heart of the Gospel message. Do you think you understanding the Gospel? Do YOU clearly understand how you came to be "in Christ?" If not, then I recommend that you familiarize yourself with THE DOCTRINE OF POSITION.
7/30/2008
The website Theopedia is an evangelical and Reformed theological effort to create “an encyclopedia of Biblical Christianity.” As a “wiki” (a document collection managed by collaborative software), its vision is to build a “comprehensive encyclopedia on biblical Christianity,” “promote sound theology,” “lessen the gap of theological knowledge between the seminary-trained church leader and the layman,” “build a Christian community for the promotion of good theological content,” and “promote the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all things.”
As one would expect, its highly-prolific founder and head
administrator Aaron Shafovaloff and other
assistants are thoroughly and unabashedly Reformed in perspective.
Theopedia adheres to an evangelical
primary
statement of faith, secondary statements such as
The Cambridge Declaration of the Alliance
of Confessing Evangelicals and Together for the Gospel, as well as
a “Writing guide.”
Although Theopedia contains entries for: dispensationalism, John Nelson Darby, Plymouth Brethren, premillennialism, C. I. Scofield, L. S. Chafer, etc., it is staunchly anti-dispensational and does not consider dispensationalists or dispensationalism a part of “traditional, evangelical Protestantism.” In these areas, their website’s commentaries lack neutrality and contain bias (contrary to their own Writing guide). They sadly promote many historical and erroneous Reformed mischaracterizations, similar to those put forth by John H. Gerstner's WRONGLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH - A Critique of Dispensationalism.
It appears neither the founder nor other current administrators are interested in facts that run contrary to their preconceived notions. Several years back, I created a Theopedia account and while adhering to the website’s Writing guide, made several contributions to the above topics. Nevertheless, those entries, except for one single external link to MJS’s critique of the Plymouth Brethren, were deleted and my account purged.
Summary: Don't go to Theopedia if you want clear and accurate information regarding dispensationalism or dispensationalists. Brothers and sisters in Christ, the sine quo non of biblical Christianity, as taught by the Apostle Paul, JND, and others, is:
God has one purpose--to glorify Himself in Christ. This involves glory in two spheres, the earthly and the heavenly. In keeping with this purpose, God has made the Church distinct from Israel, though salvation of all saints is ever and only by (sovereign) grace (through faith), in view of the atoning work of Christ. The body of Christ, of which Israel is not a part, is composed of saints (of all ethnic backgrounds) seated in the heavenlies, in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6), and this constitutes them a heavenly people (despite individually being brief sojourners on earth), while Israel is an earthly people and shall be established in the land by sovereign power. All Israel will then be saved (Rom. 11:26, etc.), the rebels having been purged (Ezek. 20), etc. rah
A grammatical-historical (normal) method of interpretation (hermeneutic) leads each and every born-again Christian to see the veracity of the above theological quote. Unfortunately, a great number down through history have approached the Bible with some preconceived agenda, and thus reject this method of interpretation. Such is the history of the Anglo-Catholic, the Reformation, and to a lesser degree Anabaptist and Baptist traditions.
All Scripture "is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16), but all Scripture is not of primary application to a particular person or class of persons which the Bible designates as such. All Scripture is not about the angels nor about the Gentiles [non-Jews]. In like manner, all Scripture is not addressed to the Jew nor to the Christian. These are obvious truths, and the dispensationalist's plan of interpretation is none other than an attempt to be consistent in following these [normal] distinctions in the primary application of Scripture as far as, and no farther than, the Bible carries them. lsc
7/26/2008
As
mentioned on our
About Us
page, one goal of this ministry is to help believers navigate the numerous
doctrinal 'minefields' which exist throughout Christendom and beyond. It's
a big job and fortunately I have faithful assistants here and there who alert me
to new and troubling 'hot spots'.
One such doctrinal minefield worth mentioning is the evolving and deteriorating Messianic Judaism movement. The movement was popularized among the youth culture back in '60s by groups like Jews for Jesus. The early movement embraced the minority "racial pride" phenomena found on most university campuses, as well as rejected the Pauline doctrinal emphasis set forth in Galatians 3:28.
During the early '70s, Miles Stanford warned of the deleterious effects of both Law and the charismatic upon these converted Jews. Much went unheeded and many evangelical ministries today operate with Messianic overtones. Beware of the potential consequences!
As paradigmatic examples, let's examine the Messianic groups, Abrahamic Faith, led by Simon Altaf and B'nai Yahshua Synagogues Worldwide led by Joseph Koniuchowsky. Both Reformed and Progressive Dispensational believers should pay close attention.
Rather than moving in the direction of fellowship with the Risen Lord Jesus Christ, this group has progressively moved backwards into the OT while seeking to actualize Israel's future New Covenant. These avant-garde charismatic Jews suppose themselves to be the now-existent "New Covenant Israel" - the elect Assembly of Yahshua.
They rightly understand the error of Christendom's "Replacement Theology" (the false teaching that the Church replaced Israel), but reject the "mystery" exclusively revealed by the Apostle Paul, the truth of the heavenly Body of Christ (ekklesia) mentioned throughout his Epistles. According to them, "Separate-Entity Theology" (a classic Pauline dispensational distinction) "where something man-made called 'The Church' co-exists as a separate entity alongside the people of Israel" is an "unscriptural doctrine of Hell and needs to be silenced via correct teaching by those of the single body of New Covenant Israel also known as the ekklessia [sic] -- the Assembly of Yahshua." [emphasis mine]
Having semi-rejected the Scriptural concept of progressive revelation and having been 'energized' by charismatic nonsense, they feel "led of the Holy Spirit" to launch into plural marriages--polygamy. Believer beware: a non-dispensational approach to Scripture is treacherous ground.
7/25/2008
I caught up (sort of) with David J. Jonsson's article files. Two very interesting, albeit complex and involved from a general public perspective, are:
>> From the Church (Mosque) to the Schoolhouse to the White House <<
Barack Hussein Obama’s Contribution to the Clash of Ideologies
Mr. Jonsson draws connections which are both lucid and stunning. The second link regarding Democrat candidate Barack Obama is a six-part series, and let me stress--not for the faint-of-heart. Once you start, you'll probably be engrossed for several hours, so plan your time wisely.
As I wrote one correspondent, "If this isn’t the lead up to the Tribulation, then it’s a great rehearsal!"
7/24/2008
The declining role and influence of the Christian religion, fundamentalist to liturgical, in Western culture, creates an environment ripe for political messiahs. Read the creative - He ventured forth to bring light to the world. At least that's the way I see this presidential election shaping up. From so-called global warming to economic meltdown, from AIDS to conflicts and war, the world's citizens are looking for an easy and painless "answer." The Democrat candidate, Barack Obama, appears to be effectively leveraging this global yearning for a 'redemptive' personality. Even the typically non-religious Democrats seem to be enjoying their preceived campaign advantage. Somewhere on the Internet I read about John McCain's daily Rx intake and thought, "The Mainstream Media (MSM) will probably enjoy speculating on whether their chosen Republican contender suffers from hemorrhoids too." Advice? Stay engaged.
7/23/2008
Anglican (aka Episcopal) Unequal Yoke at an End? Despite their shared philosophic and theological humanism, the Anglican denomination (globally estimated at 80 million) is undergoing a major division--generally along the lines of liberal vs. evangelical. The problem stems from the fact that liberal American and British leaders are not representative of the more evangelical and morally conservative global membership. The ordination of a homosexual bishop by American Episcopals in 2003 was the a-bomb event that ignited a storm of global protest. For the past five years, conservatives have been working to excise the cancerous tumor, and more. "The Anglican crisis continues to escalate and will do so well toward the end of 2008. This fall, several American dioceses will vote [several already have] on whether to separate from the Episcopal Church. On Wednesday, a west suburban Chicago-area priest confided: 'It's all over but the lawsuits'." A similar type division (liberal vs. evangelical) is also occurring in the denomination Presbyterian Church (USA).
To assume that only men, not God, cause division is to create the logical, but false and un-Scriptural, assumption that men can always achieve unity. Such efforts may produce an ecumenical and superficial sense of 'togetherness', but only at the expense of truth, integrity, and genuine pneumatological (Holy Spirit) unity.
7/22/2008
Many in today's society are both hardened skeptics and cynics. The Modernism of the late 19th and early 20th century rejected the possibility of the supernatural and taught that empirical science was wholly sufficient to arrive at any "truth" worth knowing. However, hallucinogenic drugs and the decade of the '60s spawned a backlash of philosophic and moral relativism, which then paved the way for our Post-modern era. Postmodernism rejects both scientific and religious universal truth claims (metanarratives); reality is purely subjective and uncertainty the only constant. Thus, many younger generations will fail to see the humor in the cartoon below. For them, this approach to reading the Bible is seen as normative. Nothing more is possible. For them, the existence of denominations and Christian sects seems a self-evident confirmation that reading the Bible is purely a subjective exercise. Dispelling today's entrenched skepticism is very hard labor.
Of course, viewing even a single Pentecostal revivalist Todd Bentley broadcast would likely make even celestial beings cynical of religion. Miles Stanford's 1972 booklet, THE LINE DRAWN, stands unchallenged as the quintessential answer to the entire spectrum of Pentecostal/charismatic nonsense.
7/21.1/2008
At least some are privately candid in their opposition to withChrist.org.
7/21/2008
"...the Bible is like no other book."
With the influence of postmodernism upon the larger culture, claims of exclusivity have become less and less meaningful. The meaning most people get from the above statement is that the Bible is simply 'different', but not unique. From their perspective, Christians might enjoy it and thus it might be 'special' to you, but in their mind, no book is inherently superior to any other piece of literature. Thus, when witnessing to your friend or colleague, it's important to emphasis what you precisely mean.
"...the Bible is like no other book. It is unique for it has come to us from God Himself. This is evident from its own claims to inspiration. Paul wrote, "All Scripture is God-breathed" (2 Tim. 3:16). Though human writers were used by God to record the Scriptures, using their own styles of diction and expressing their own personalities, their words were the "out-breathing" of God. Inspiration then is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit whereby He guided and superintended the writers of Scripture so that what they wrote is the Word of God. This "breathing" into the writings, or superintending over the writings, was an act both verbal and plenary. It was verbal in that that the Holy Spirit guided in the choice of the words, which cannot be separated from thoughts. The Bible's inspiration was also plenary in that it extended to every portion of the Bible. As a result it is infallible in truth and final in authority. The Greek word for "inspired" (2 Tim. 3:16, NASB) is theopneustos, literally "God-breathed" (as the NIV translates it). Because of its divine origin and nature, the Bible in its original writings was without error." RBZ
7/16.1/2008
"Now, let's turn to the Messiah stories. Through TV programs like "The Secret of Armageddon," the Iranian government continues trying to prepare people for what Ahmadinejad sees as the increasingly "imminent" coming of the Islamic Messiah. I don't begrudge them that, per se. I also believe we are living in the last days. I believe the Messiah is coming. And I believe we all need to live differently in light of these truths. The problem is that while Jesus, the Apostles and all Biblical eschatology teaches us to love our neighbors and our enemies in the End Times -- and share the good news of God's love and salvation for all who will listen and respond -- Shia Islamic eschatology teaches just the opposite. The way to hasten the Mahdi's appearance or arrival on earth, Shia scholars teach, is to create chaos and carnage on the planet and kill tens of millions of people. They believe that annihilating Judeo-Christian civilization as we know it and sending the world goes up in flames will then trigger the arrival of the Mahdi who will bring righteousness, justice and peace and create a worldwide Islamic empire. Of course, it's one thing to believe in such horrifying theology. It's another thing to run a country based on it. Yet that is exactly what is happening in Iran today. Such Shia eschatology is driving Iranian foreign policy. What's more, it is driving the Iranian regime's feverish bid to build, buy or steal nuclear weapons and the missiles capable of delivering them to U.S. and Israeli targets. Such genocidal zealots cannot be successfully negotiated with or deterred. That's what is so critical for Washington and our allies to understand. Ahmadinejad -- and, more importantly, the Ayatollah Khamenei -- don't want to be stopped. They believe they are on a God-given mission to bring about the end of the world, and they are eager and passionate about getting the job done as quickly as possible." Joel C. Rosenberg, 7/10/2008
7/16/2008
Campus
Cruisers? - Many readers are familiar with the Arminian/Wesleyan
evangelical and ecumenical Campus Crusade for Christ International (CCCI).
I spent time with and in the organization during the first year or so of my
Christian life. Read testimony here.
Readers may also be aware and sensitive to the fact that the term "Crusade" has
become rather 'politically incorrect' because of the rise in power of Islam
(Muslims take offense), the West's so-called "war on terrorism," and
pragmatic efforts by Western leaders to cast a false image of Islam as a
"religion of peace." For
the Muslim world, the word "Crusade" is always linked to the many
military/religious campaigns waged largely by Catholic Europe during the
Medieval Age, as well as their stunted understanding of the Christian faith in
general. So...did CCCI leaders compromise and intentionally alter their
name [Campus Cruised (sic) for Christ International] when they
participated in the highly-ecumenical
2007
World Conference on Dialogue Among Religions and Civilizations?
Curious minds want to know.
7/13/2008
I have added an addendum to the Interpretation section of my article, FROM GOD TO US, The Divine Chain of Communication.
Addendum: For further study, obtain a copy of Roy Zuck's Basic Bible Interpretation: A Practical Guide to Discovering Biblical Truth, Victor Books, 1991. This is an excellent seminary-level textbook used at Dallas Theological Seminary by Dr. Zuck. The textbook is a great resource; however, it is a bit dated in that it was conceived and written before the adverse influence of postmodernism took hold within academic circles and culture and thus fails to address some of these more contemporary issues.
If you're a bit murky on postmodernism (pomo for short) or "Emergent", that's acceptable...if you're over the age of 40. You may get a better understanding by backing into this form of contemporary reality. See the creative Emergence-See ¤ Po-Motivators for Emergent Christians, Motivational Posters for the Emerging Church Conversation CHAOS by TeamPyro.blogspot.com.
For any of you are struggling to raise (or even communicate) with your pomo-infected children or relatives, or concerned with the new "Emergent" youth group in your church, you won't want to miss TeamPyro's satirical and humorous motivational posters.
7/12/2008
At $150 USD a barrel of oil, the globalized economies face a 'slow-motion' Armageddon. Certain businesses and banks will fail early, others later as the high cost of energy works its way through...like rows of dominos. Planned or unplanned, the outcomes are similar. Theories abound why crude oil has more than doubled in such a short period. Will the financial collapse set in motion the prophetic, biblical Armageddon? Some think so...both in America and the Middle East. Keep in mind that events will move at a slower-than-expected pace due to the scale of interconnections at the global level. Yet, tensions are rising in Israel and the Middle East and at some point, the pressures will be released. Time is running out for this cast of world stage actors and actresses.
7/11/2008
"The 9th Circle in Dante's Inferno - starring Judas and Brutus - is a frozen
lake. Cold can be more frightful than heat. "Blue pinch'd and shrined in ice the
spirits stood," (Canto XXXIII). Such awaits the victims of debt deflation."
I understand that many readers will scratch their head after reading the above quote from Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy (unless you read it back during your school days and your memory is still working), as well as ponder the connection with the economics of "debt deflation." Side note: Alighieri's work is "widely considered the central epic poem of Italian literature and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature. The poem's imaginative and allegorical vision of the Christian afterlife is a culmination of the medieval worldview as it had developed in the Western [Catholic] Church." But...debt deflation? The above quote is the masterful journalistic ending to Ambrose Evans-Pritchard's most recent gaze into his economic crystal ball--Monetarists warn of crunch across Atlantic economies. If after reading his article, you're still not sure what's being discussed, then take in Chris Martenson's recently released 15th presentation entitled "Bubbles."
"Blue pinch'd and shrined in ice the spirits stood,"...they did.
7/7/2008
Where the Bible Speaks of Being “Born Again” and Why It is Synonymous with Genuine Christianity
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